Folding and adjustable table.



I. D. BIRDSALL.

FOLDING AND ADJUSTABLE TABLE.

f APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1910.

1,063,642. Patented June 3, 1913.

I 2 sums-sum 1.

witmeooeo I. D. BIRDSALL.

FOLDING AND ADJUSTABLE TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1910.

1,063,642, Patented June 3, 1913. I 6 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 4 l m u o o M Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA D. IBIRDSALL, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR '10 DURFEE EMBALMIN G FLUID COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FOLDING AND ADJUSTABLE TABLE Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 29, 1910. Serial No. 579,384.

Patented Jane 3, 1913.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, IRA D. BIRnsALL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding and Adjustable Tables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in foldingand adjustable tables, and more particularly to such tablesused by undertakers for embalming purposes, andits object is to provide a strong and light structure that shall have means of longitudinal adjustment of the top, and adjustmentof distance between the supporting legs, and also means for separate vertical adjustment at each end, the same being foldable in' compact form and forming a neat rectangular case when folded, and to provide the device with various new and useful features hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

My invention consists essentially of a table comprising a foldable top which forms the outside of the case when closed, and extensions to the top carrying foldable and ex tensible legs adjusted for distance apart by adjusting said extensions, and in various features of construction and arrangement of parts as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a device embodyingv my invention adjusted for use. Fig. 2 the same folded and closed for transportation and storage. Fig. 3 an enlarged side elevation of o-ne end of the same adjusted as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 an inverted plan view of the parts shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 6a transverse vertical section on the line 66 Fig. 3. Fig. 7 an enlarged sectional detail of the extension leg and holding means therefor. Fig. 8 a sectional detail of the pivot mechanism for the legs, and Fig. 9 a detail showing the locking cam.

Like numbers referring to like parts of all of the figures, 1 represents the main top of the table transversely divided into two equal parts and hinged as at 1 to fold opposite each other and provided with a handle 3 whereby the device may be conveniently carried when folded, the side rails 2 extend downward from the opposite edges of the top and are grooved in the opposing sides as at 6 are extensions to the top which slide beneath the main top 1 and at opposite sides are provided with metal face plates folded longitudinally along the middle to form a tongue to run freely in the groove 5, these plates are secured to side rails 16 beneath the extension 6, and serve to strengthen and hold the same in shape to run freely beneath the main top. These extensions are also provided with an outer end rail 7 which forms a closure for the end when the same is folded as illustrated in Fig. 2, the other end being closed by the end rails l at the middle of the top, the device thus forms a rectangular case when closed, within which the extension legs are folded as illustrated in Fig. 5. r

The legs 8 are preferably tubular and have telescopic extension 11 projecting from the lower end, the upper end of these legs are each pivoted on a bolt 20 having its head slidable in a T slot 19 in the inner surface of the side rails 16 of the extension, a locking cam 21 is provided for each bolt to secure the leg in vertical position, each leg is provided with abrace 9 pivoted. thereto at one end and pivoted to a lug 17 on the end rail 7 at the other end. The top 1 is preferably of thin veneer panel for lightness of structure, also so that the extensions are but little lower than the same when drawn out.

To support and strengthen the edge of the top 1 and permit the extension to slide close below the same, a thin strip of metal 1 is recessed into the under side of the top across the ends of the same and secured thereto. To stay the side rails 2 and also to provide means for retaining the legs in folded position, transverse plates 22 are provided intermediate the ends of the said rails, each one of these plates has a cam 23 pivoted thereon which cam is engaged by the end rail 24 of the extension 6 and stops the same when fully extended, and at any intermediate position, the cam 23 can be turned against the side rail 16, and lock the extension in place. The plate 22 also serves as a support for the inner end of the extension thus providing a very strong and satisfactory structure.

The lower end of the legs 8' are connected b a tubular cross-bar 10 m which are slidable latch bolts 14 having beveled outer ends which are adapted to strike into recesses 13 in the leg extension 11 and hold the same at intervals to adjust the total length of the legs. The adjacent ends of the bolts 14 are spaced apart and a spring 18 inserted therebetween which yieldingly forces the bolts a art and into the recesses. To withdraw t ese bolts, and also prevent the same from rotating, thumb pieces 15 are attached thereto and extend through a longitudinal slot in the cross-bar 10, and are slidable therein. Near the lower ends the leg extensions 11 are rigidly connected by a cross rod 12 which serves to strengthen the structure and to move said extensions simultaneously.

When opened for use, the legs 8 are substantially vertical with the bolts 20 at, the inner ends of the slots 19, and locked in this position by the cams 21, the extension 6 can be adjusted more or less outward to adjust the device to various lengths, and locked by the cams 23. When fully extended the legs can be folded and passed between the plate 22 and the top of the extension 6, and the extension then moved inward to the limit with the end rail 7 against the end of the side rails 2, the legs and parts attached are then all within the plane of the side rails and the device readily closed as in Fig. 2. When in use either end of the table can be, elevated more or less at pleasure, by merely placing the foot on the cross rod 12 and liftmg the end of the table, the latch bolts will yield and slide up step by step on the leg extensions 11, successively engaging the recess 13 therein and holding the legs extended.

Particular attention is called to the fact that when opened out for use the legs form the sole support, are spaced apart from the ends of the extensions and support the same, and also that as the extensions are moved in or out, the legs areadjusted toward or away from the same, whereby they are closer together when the table is adjusted shorter and farther apart as the table is adjusted longer.

What I claim is:

A foldable table comprising top sections hingedly connectedtogether and including side rails and end rails at their abutting inner ends, a transverse plate attached to the lower edges of the side rails of each top section, an extension table slidable between each top section, its side rails and the corresponding transverse plate, a pair of legs pivotally carried by each extension which are foldable against the corresponding extension for movement into the space between the corresponding top section and the corresponding transverse plate, by which latter the pairs of legs are held in folded positions, means for locking the extensions in their outward positions, the abutting ends of the top sections formmg one end of the structure when folded and the outer ends of the sections forming the other end of the structure when the latter is folded.

In testimony whereof I ain'x-my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RA D. BIRDSALL. Witnesses:

HAROLD O. VAN An'rwnnr, LUTHER V. Mounron. 

